Desperate appeal to find missing miniature pony believed stolen

The owner of a much-loved family pony who has been missing for more than a week, believed to be stolen, has said she will not give up trying to find her.

Allison Wood’s miniature Shetland mare Maisey disappeared from her field in Castle Combe, near Chippenham, Wiltshire, between 8pm on 11 July and 2pm on 12 July. Maisey had been grazing with Allison’s horse Holly when she disappeared.

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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.

Desperate appeal to find missing miniature pony believed stolen

Allison, who has owned 16-year-old Maisey for 13 years, told H&H that she believes someone may have taken her over a stone wall.

“There are scrabble marks and someone’s trainer footprints where they have skidded at the edge of the field by the wall,” she said.

“At the end of the lane we found tyre tracks. She’s only 31 inches tall and we think someone has put her in a van.”

Allison said Maisey has a history of laminitis and needs to be carefully managed.

“She’s on minimal grass, and this year she has been doing amazing. She’s probably not worth a lot of money, and she can’t be ridden, but whoever has taken her doesn’t know that,” she said.

“She’s part of our family. When we have animals we keep them for their lifetime, and I won’t give up until we find her. She wasn’t really in view, and it’s horrible thinking that someone has been checking us out.”

“We just hope to get some good news, and that someone might leave her somewhere and we can collect her,” said Allison.

“We’ve done everything we can to make her too hot to handle.”

Wiltshire Police are appealing for witnesses. A police spokesman said if anyone recognises Maisey and can help locate her, to contact 101, quoting reference 54230073017.

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